The Carolina Wolf Spider is North America's largest wolf spider and it has made every part of the continent its home.

The Carolina Wolf Spider is a skilled hunter, not a trapper like other spiders. It does not wait for prey to get tangled in an intricate web; it seeks out and attacks. Though it is possible to see them in the daytime, Carolina Wolf Spiders are nocturnal and are usually spotted by people at night. Brown and black bodies keep them well camouflaged on forest floors, but they are easier to spot on sandy soil near coastlines. They are comfortable in almost any habitat and sometimes wander indoors looking for insects to eat.

This spider is large, hairy and fast. The head is slightly elevated by the eyes. The cephalothorax has a tan line down the center of it. The sides of the cephalothorax are dark brown or black with a lighter brown border on both edges. The abdomen is shaped like an almond. The top of the abdomen has a dark almond-shaped mark near the waist and a chevron pattern toward the rear. Females are generally darker and larger than males. After mating, a female will dig a hole in the ground that can be almost 200 mm (8") deep. She lines it with spider silk and covers the opening with plant debris. This where her eggs are laid and wrapped in a silken sac. She will carry this egg sac on her back where ever she goes until the spiderlings hatch. It is not unusual to see wolf spider mothers carry all of her small spiderlings on her abdomen.

Basic Information

Common Name: Carolina Wolf Spider

Other Name(s): Giant Wolf Spider

Scientific Name:Hogna carolinensis

Category: Spider

General Identification

Size (Adult; Length): 18mm to 35mm (0.70in to 1.37in)

Identifying Colors: brow, black, ivory

Additional Descriptors: biting, hairy, venomous, large, line, stripe

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Arthropoda

Class:Arachnida

Order:Araneae

Family:Lycosidae

Genus:Hogna

Species:carolinensis

Spider Anatomy (Typical)

1

Legs: Spiders have four pairs of legs and these are attached to the cephalothorax.

2

Pedipalps: Small appendages near the mouth used as taste and smell organs.

3

Cephalothorax: Contains eyes, head, mouthparts, and legs.

4

Abdomen: Contains various organs related to digestion, reproduction, and web-making.

5

Spinnerets: Used in the production of spider silk for fashioning webs or catching prey.

NOTE: Unlike insects, spiders have both an endoskeleton (internal) and exoskeleton (external).

Territorial Reach (A-to-Z)

Note: An insect's reach is not limited by lines drawn on a map and therefore species may appear in areas, regions and/or states beyond those listed below as they are driven by environmental factors (such as climate change), available food supplies and mating patterns. Grayed-out selections below indicate that the subject in question has not been reported in that particular territory. U.S. states and Canadian provinces / territories are clickable to their respective bug listings.

The map below showcases (in red) the states and territories of North America where the Carolina Wolf Spider may be found (but is not limited to). This sort of data can be useful in seeing concentrations of a particular species over the continent as well as revealing possible migratory patterns over a species' given lifespan. Some species are naturally confined by environment, weather, mating habits, food resources and the like while others see widespread expansion across most, or all, of North America.